


Acceptance

by paintingraves (kallistob)



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Caring Jaskier | Dandelion, Conversation, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Post episode 2, Short & Sweet, he's not the best at expressing himself but he tries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28611939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kallistob/pseuds/paintingraves
Summary: "I just... I really like travelling with him, you know? I don't want him to leave me behind."
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800238
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> i very much had netflix!Geralt in mind when writing this Geralt. but I am also thinking of the books in which Geralt and Jaskier truly are the best of friends ❤️ episode 6 whomst ?? i don't know her, book!Geralt would NEVER  
> the prompt was "you're hurting me" which was supposed to be angsty but. fluff happened instead, which is good too.  
> enjoy !

“Geralt, you’re hurting me.” 

The words are so soft spoken they could be mistaken for the whisper of the wind. But Geralt has been cursed with witcher hearing, and he can hear what Jaskier just said to himself perfectly well. But he doesn't understand it.

Hurting him? Geralt has barely ever touched him, save for that one gut punch at the beginning of their acquaintanceship. What the hell is the bard babbling on about? 

“That’s what I should say, isn’t it, Roach? Although I doubt it’d make any difference. I know my presence here isn’t welcome, he tells me so often enough.” Geralt peers at the other man through half-lidded eyes, fully awake now. The moon glows in the sky, and he can hear the distant hoot of an owl, meaning it's still the middle of the bloody night. Jaskier should be asleep. What is he doing up and talking to his horse? Does the bard suffer from insomnia ? Geralt's never asked, but they've been travelling together for a few weeks now and he thinks he would have noticed before if that was the case. 

"And I know I'm the one who insists on following him. He did try to warn me. But…" Jaskier sighs deeply. "I really didn't think the life of a Witcher was so harsh. I feel sorry for him." 

Geralt remains silent and still. 

So this is it then. Jaskier has changed his mind. Once they reach the next town, he's going to politely tell Geralt that it was nice meeting him, but that he'd much prefer seeking the comfort of playing in courts again, rather than keep trudging after Geralt on dusty roads. Geralt… should be happy to learn this, but instead all he can feel is an uncomfortable feeling of dread, making his chest painfully tight. What the hell's wrong with him? 

"It's not even that he doesn't want comfort, you know. I'm sure he must want _things_ for himself. He just doesn't allow himself to voice them, granting people the right to treat him like _shit_. It makes me so mad, Roach. So mad. Gerald may be a Witcher, but he's a better man at heart than most people I've met."

Geralt swallows, his mouth dry. His heart is pounding in his chest, drowning everything out but for the melodious sound of Jaskier's voice. 

"And of course, since he doesn't allow himself the tiniest of pleasures… I mean seriously, I've never seen him buy anything other than the bare necessities. Ingredients for his potions, a little bit of food, the occasional visit to a blacksmith. He treats you, dear girl, better than he does himself. At least you get pampered once in a while, given sugar cubes and apples and carrots. I don't think I've seen that man eat anything sugary since I've known him. He even bought _you_ a new blanket, when his own cloak is this close to becoming more fray than fabric. Would it kill him to allow himself to rest and have fun, once in a while ? 

"So of course, of course… living like that, he doesn't tolerate me being, well, myself. I'm his antithesis. Colorful and cheerful and talkative and willing, gods forbid, to _waste_ time pursuing trivial matters and pleasures, like doodling in my journal in between two lines of poetry, or stopping at a food stall to buy cheesecake. He should eat some cheesecake and maybe he'd be less grumpy," Jaskier mutters. "Anyway, my point is that if he truly wished to get rid of me, he would have done so a long time ago. And he hasn't, meaning that some part of him _must_ enjoy my company. Lonely old bastard. 

"And my second point is that if he does enjoy my company and we are, therefore, _friends_ \-- then I must teach him to care about me. And about himself, though I suppose that will follow. I must gather the courage to remind him that, as a human being, I have physical limits that I just don't want to push. Otherwise he'll hurt me without even being aware of it, and that could become ugly very quickly." Jaskier pauses. "Like that hot day last week when I ran out of water in the morning and briefly fainted in the middle of the afternoon. _Briefly_ being the key word here, I don't think he even noticed. Told him I'd tripped. He gave me water, and later we blessedly found a stream, and that was that." 

Shit, Geralt remembers that. He'd thought something wasn't quite right. 

Jaskier had been babbling as usual, and then he'd fallen silent around noon. Geralt had struggled with himself, the words _are you alright?_ spiraling in his head all goddamn day. He didn't even manage to get them out, feeling shame and anger at how difficult it was to ask a _simple_ question. Ridiculous. 

And then he'd heard a weird thump behind him and turned his head to see Jaskier had fallen flat on his face in the dirt. He'd remained frozen for a minute or two, the sun beating down his back, Roach neighing under his fingers, the breeze blowing strands of hair in his face. _Jaskier_ , what the hell was wrong with Jaskier. His tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth, the words trapped behind his teeth, his limbs sluggish and his brain struggling to decide on a course of action. 

Then just as he was finally dismounting his horse, Jaskier coughed and woke up. He shook his head, pushed himself up on his hands and knees, brushed sand and dust from his pants and front, and beamed up at Geralt, all innocence. "I tripped !" He announced, licking his lips. "Tricky road, that one." He licked his lips again, moved his tongue over the front of his teeth and swallowed. "Say, Geralt, you wouldn't happen to have water, would you?" 

"You… tripped," Geralt said in disbelief. 

"That's what I said. I'm fine, really, we can keep going. Do you have water?" 

Geralt wordlessly handed him his waterskin. 

"Oh my god, you do ? Wonderful !" Jaskier drank all the waterskin, and smiled at him again. "I feel _so_ much better. Let's go, shall we ? Contracts and glory await you !" 

"... Hmm," Geralt said. There was something not right about this, but Jaskier had a point - he didn't have time to dwell on it. 

He followed the bard, and tried to forget the unsettling image of his body, lying still in the middle of the road. 

"I just…" Jaskier continued, oblivious to Geralt's inner turmoil. "I really like travelling with him, you know? And I like him, as a person. He's quite funny when he puts his mind to it." Roach snorted feebly. "Yeah. I just don't want him to see me as a burden. We could help each other, I think this could really be something good. I don't want him to give up on me so soon, don't want him to leave me behind…" 

And that - that last fear Geralt could understand. He'd loved his mother deeply, unconditionally, _innocently_ , the only way a child loves their parents, and she still had abandoned him. Rejected him, found him somehow lacking _(why?)_ And he lost her. While that heartbreak wasn’t comparable to the tentative friendship he was building with Jaskier, he understood the sentiment of not wanting to be left behind. Perhaps that was also the reason why, for all his grumbling and complaining, he hadn't ever really pushed Jaskier away. Maybe he wanted him to stick around. Maybe he did enjoy his company. Maybe he truly was (he smiled) a _lonely old bastard,_ as Jaskier eloquently put it.

"I should try to go back to sleep, eh, Roach? Got a long day tomorrow." 

_Jaskier_. 

"Jaskier," said Geralt. 

"Uh?... Oh shit, did I wake you, Geralt? I'm sorry." 

Geralt opened his eyes and sat up slowly. "You did." 

"I'm s-" 

"Fine. It's fine," he grunted. "I heard you." 

"Err… okay…? What part exactly?" 

"Enough. I… I won't. Leave you behind. Don't want to." He could feel heat rising to his face and fought the sudden urge to get up and go running into the forest to hide. "Be more careful." 

"Careful?" 

"With _you_ ," Geralt said determinedly. "Tell me if you don't feel good or need a break. Yeah." Jaskier was staring at him as if he'd grown cat ears and a tail. "What." 

After a beat, Jaskier said, "Nothing." And he smiled softly, with something Geralt could almost call fondness. "Thank you, Geralt. I appreciate it." 

"Hmm." 

With jerky movements, Geralt lied down on his bedroll again, tugged his blanket up to his chest and resolutely turned his back to Jaskier. 

He could still feel the blush on his face, and his heart beat as fast as if he'd run the Killer. But despite his embarrassment, he couldn't help but feel… happy that he'd opened his mouth and found the right words for once. Jaskier seemed content too, which was... good. They were good. 

After a while the sound of Jaskier's snores echoed in the clearing again. Geralt, too, fell back asleep, more at peace that he'd been in months.   
  
  



End file.
